A good reason to be outside, staring up = at the sky in the middle of the night. Following is clipped from the MSN.com site. http:= //www.msnbc.com/news/607631.asp?pne=msn&cp1=1

THE RETURN OF the Perseid = meteor shower marks one of the most rewarding skywatching events of the year. = No matter how many other night sky shows fail to meet expectations, the Perseids = rarely falter. Only two weeks straight of cloudy skies can completely spoil the = shower.
The Perseids began in mid-July, = with one or two meteors streaking through the sky each evening. Activity is = slowly picking up in advance of the peak, when dozens of shooting stars will be = visible each hour from dark skies.
“Light = pollution is a real killer when it comes to meteor showers,” says Kevin Conod, an = astronomer at the Newark Museum’s Dreyfuss Planetarium in New Jersey. A trip to = the country is the best way to assure good viewing.